New Brunswick community college offers course in growing marijuana

A community college in New Brunswick is offering a course in horticulture tailored to equip students with the skills to work in a growing industry – marijuana cultivation.

A school official at the College communautaire du Nouveau-Brunswick says the course will launch sometime next year and has been designed in collaboration with industry leaders to train skilled workers capable of working in the highly regulated medical marijuana industry.

Michel Doucet, executive director of continuing education and customized learning, says the school has already received interest from people keen on working in the marijuana industry, but warns that the program is not intended for hobbyists.

“People think that you grow the plant and leave with it, bring it home. No, absolutely not,” Doucet says. “They don’t ingest it, they grow it … This is a secure environment. You don’t just walk in and say, ‘I want a job at a medical marijuana facility.”‘

Much of the learning will take place outside the classroom, Doucet says. The school is teaming up with industry partners to ensure that students gain technical experience in licensed facilities by being involved in the day-to-day care of the plants under the supervision of senior employees.